Dehorning chemical applicator



April 23, 1963 E. J. REINDERS DEHORNING CHEMICAL APPLICATOR Filed Nov. 4, 1960 y m k aiicxrrceya United States Patent 3,086,526 DEHORNING CHEMICAL APPLICATOR Edward J. Reinders, RED. 1, Humboldt, Iowa Filed Nov. 4, 1960, Ser. No. 67,236 6 Claims. (Cl. 128-260) This invention relates to a device for applying a dehorning compound to the horns of young cattle.

A main object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive and highly efi'ective applicator for applying a dehorning paste to the base portions of the horn buttons of young cattle. As is well known, the growth of horns may be arrested by the direct application of a conventional dehorning compound to the horns of cattle but, for most eifective action of the chemical, it is important that it be applied to the bases of the horns. It it an object to provide a conveniently operated device for accomplishing this purpose and, more specifically, to provide an applicator adapted to push away the hair about the horn buttons so that the chemical may come into direct contact with the bases of the horns.

Another object is to provide an applicator for a dehorning compound which may be manipulated with one hand in applying such a compound to the horns of cattle. A further object is to provide a disposable applicator formed entirely of a combustible and hence incineratable plastic material.

Other objects will appear from the specification and drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an applicator embodying the present invention, the applicator being shown in conjunction with the head of a calf to illustrate the use of the device in the dehorning of cattle;

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the applicator;

FIGURE 3 is an end view showing the mouth of the applicator;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged and broken longitudinal sectional view illustrating details of the applicator head.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, the numeral generally designates an applicator having a body 11 and a head 12. Both of these parts may be formed from a suitable plastic material, the body preferably being formed from a resilient plastic such as low molecular weight polyethylene so that the walls thereof may be squeezed together to force the contents therefrom. Head 12 should be of greater stiffness than the squeezable body and, therefore, might be formed from higher molecular Weight polyethylene or any of a variety of rigid plastics such as, for example, polystyrene 0r cellulose acetate. If desired, head 12 might alternatively be formed from metal.

The container body 11 is generally cylindrical in shape, having side and end walls 13 and 14 respectively. One of the end walls is centrally apertured at 15 to receive the reduced neck portion of applicator head 12.

As shown most clearly in FIGURES 1 and 4, the applicator head is generally frusto-conical in shape. The side Walls of the head flare outwardly to define an enlarged dispensing mouth 16 at the free end of the head. A passage 17 extends from the mouth through the reduced neck portion 18 of the head, the inside wall surfaces of the head defining the passage being convex when viewed in longitudinal section (FIGURE 4).

While any of a variety of suitable means may be provided for connecting the head and body together, I have shown the head equipped with a circumferential flange 19 extending about the inner end of the neck within the interior 20 of the collapsible body 11. Longitudinal inward movement of the head is prevented by the outwardly flaring walls thereof and longitudinal outward movement is restrained by the peripheral flange 19. Thus,

3,086,526 Patented Apr. 23, 1963 the head is securely locked in position within the opening of end wall 14.

Within the interior of head 12 and along the longitudinally convex inner surfaces of the side walls thereof are a plurality of spiral ribs 21. These ribs are preferably formed integrally with the head and extend substantially from one end to the other thereof. While these ribs are referred to as spiral ribs, it will be ob served that they extend more axially than circumferentially or, in other words, extend away from the enlarged mouth at angles greater than 45 degrees with reference to lines extending circumferentially about the interior of the head.

The paste or compound 22 within the body 11 may be any of various commercially-available materials which are well known for the purpose of dehorning young cattle. Since the material itself does not constitute a part of the present invention, a discussion of its composition is believed unnecessary herein. It is to be noted, however, that such a material is highly active and will readily burn an operators hand should it be carelessly applied or should the calf move suddenly during its application. Furthermore, there is the danger that if it is not properly applied it may injure the calf and, should it touch the animals eyes, cause blindness. For these reasons it is important that the material be applied only to the horns of the animal and, more particularly, to the base portions of those horns.

in applying the dehorning compound with the applicator of the present invention, a user simply positions the mouth of head 12 over a horn button and then rotates the applicator (in a clockwise direction when viewed from. above in FIGURE 1) to urge the hair outwardly away from the base of the horns. As the applicator is rotated, ribs 21 push the hairs outwardly, exposing the horns so that the chemical may be applied directly thereto. After briefly rotating the dispenser, the user then squeezes body 11 so that the dehorning compound is forced through the passage 17 and into contact with the horn.

It will be observed that the interior of the head is sufficiently larger than the horn so that the chemical may easily flow downwardly about the horn when the dispenser body is squeezed. The outwardly flaring inside surfaces of the head adjacent the enlarged mouth thereof tend to remain in contact with the hair about a horn immediately after that hair has been urged aside by the ribs and, therefore, such curved surfaces contribute to a considerable extent in the effective operation of the applicator.

While in the foregoing I have disclosed an embodiment of the invention in considerable detail for purposes of illustration, it will be understood 'by those skilled in the art that many of these details may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A dehorning compound applicator comprising a container having a body and an applicator head, said head having a passage of generally frusto-conical shape extending therethrough and providing an open mouth adapted to fit completely over the horn buttons of young cattle, said head having spiral ribs along the inside surface thereof and extending to said open mouth for pushing down the animal hair about the sides and adjacent the base of a horn button as said container is rotated, thereby exposing the base of said horn button to a dehorning compound discharged from said body.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which said spiral ribs extend at angles greater than 45 degrees with reference to lines extending circumferentially about the interior of said head.

3. A dehorning chemical applicator having an applicator head with outwardly flaring side walls, said head providing a passage therethrough and terminating in an enlarged mouth adapted to receive and fit completely over the horn buttons of young cattle, a plurality of ribs provided by the inside surfaces of said side wall, said ribs generally extending inwardly at angles greater than 45 degrees with reference to lines extending circumferentially about said head and terminating at the open end of said mouth.

4. The structure of claim 3 in which said head and ribs are formed integrally from plastic material.

5. A dehorning compound applicator comprising a container having a body and having an applicator head joined to said body, said body being formed of resilient plastic material and being collapsible for squeezing the contents therefrom, said head having outwardly flaring side walls and providing a passage therethrough terminating in an enlarged mouth for receiving and fitting over the horn buttons of young cattle, and a plurality of circurnferentially-spaced ribs spiraling axially along the interior surface of said side Walls and terminating at the open end of said mouth, whereby, upon rotation of said head after the same has been placed over a horn button, said ribs tend to urge the hair adjacent said horn button downwardly and expose the base of said horn button to the dehorning compound squeezed from said body.

6 The structure of claim 5 in which said ribs extend inwardly at angles greater than 45 degrees with reference to lines extending circumferentially about the interior of said mouth.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,431,985 Bowman et al Dec. 2, 1947 2,580,169 Golden et al Dec. 25, 1951 2,987,223 Armour June 6, 1961 

1. A DEHORNING COMPOUND APPLICATOR COMPRISING A CONTAINER HAVING A BODY AND AN APPLICATOR HEAD, SAID HEAD HAVING A PASSAGE OF GENERALLY FRUSTO-CONICAL SHAPE EXTENDING THERETHROUGH AND PROVIDING AN OPEN MOUTH ADAPTED TO FIT COMPLETELY OVER THE HORN BUTTONS OF YOUNG CATTLE, SAID HEAD HAVING SPIRAL RIBS ALONG THE INSIDE SURFACE THEREOF AND EXTENDING TO SAID OPEN MOUTH FOR PUSHING DOWN THE ANIMAL HAIR ABOUT THE SIDES AND ADJACENT THE BASE OF A HORN BUTTON AS SAID CONTAINER IS ROTATED, THEREBY EXPOSING THE BASE OF SAID HORN BUTTON TO A DEHORNING COMPOUND DISCHARGED FROM SAID BODY. 